Huge Seven Ton Monster – Star of AUS&R 2016 Exhibition
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Robots have been playing a growing role in combat. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has recently unveiled the RoBattle, an unmanned, heavy duty, highly maneuverable combat and support robotic system. The RoBattle will make its Israeli debut at the AUS&R exhibition on September 19th.
Designed for modern ground combat, RoBattle is built to operate independently or to support manned formations with the most dangerous, extreme tasks. Performing armed scout and advanced guard, ambush and attacks that ‘stimulate the area’, or penetrate deep into contested areas, including deception (acting as a decoy), RoBattle formations are also designed to gather intelligence and surveillance covertly, and assist convoy protection.
Based on IAI’s technology, RoBattle is the newest member of a growing family of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) that evolved from the company’s robotics center in recent years.
It is equipped with a modular “robotic kit” comprised of vehicle control, navigation, sensors and mission payloads. The system can be operated autonomously in several levels and configured with wheels or tracks, to address the relevant operational needs. Operators can equip RoBattle with different payloads including manipulator arms, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors and radars, and remotely controlled weapons.
The combat ready RoBattle has a vehicle gross weight of seven tons, including three tons of payload. The diesel powered 6×6 articulated vehicle can also use tracks for improved all-terrain mobility.
As a combat-ready platform, RoBattle is designed to survivability to endure battle damage, provided with protection and redundancy for sensitive areas. The robot carries the ultra-light Pitbull – Remote Weapon Station (RWS) developed by General Robotics. The Pitbull weighs only 50 kg, and includes a set of sensors enabling operations in day, night and under limited visibility conditions, providing the carrying platform advanced situational awareness and hostile fire indication, enabling the robot to respond effectively, in few seconds to threats around it, by maneuvering, deploying countermeasures or suppressive fire.
IAI equipped their new robot with advanced military-standard LTE network (Tac4G) providing consistent communications coverage across a wide area, with broadband connectivity.
According to the Lahav division of IAI, the RoBattle will become a significant player in the ground robotics market. The company says that it presents advanced technologies and capabilities that can close the operational gaps in the future battlefield challenges.
